Rhode Island Sports Betting Will Launch Later Than Expected

According to a press release, the state signed a five-year contract Friday with IGT and William Hill to run its sports betting operation.

“It’s an exciting time for the Rhode Island Lottery,” said GeraldAubin, Rhode Island Lottery Director, in the release. “With the introduction of legalized sports betting, we will leverage world-class resources and technology from IGT and William Hill to provide the best-possible sports betting experience for the patrons who visit our casinos.”

IGT, the lone bidder for the contract, will be the state’s official sports betting partner. Rhode Island’s lottery will oversee sports betting, which will take places at its two casinos.

Twin River Casino in Lincoln and in Tiverton will offer legal sports betting at its sportsbooks. The contract also includes a provision for on-site mobile wagering, similar to the setup in Mississippi sports betting. Bettors there must be on casino grounds to wager with a smartphone app.

Moving back the start date

Rhode Island sports betting won approval from the state legislature in June. Twin River spokesperson Patti Doyle told Legal Sports Report at that time that the casinos planned to launch sports betting in October.

“We’re working toward an October date for the offering of a sports betting amenity,” Doyle wrote in an email. “We’ve begun the planning process for the space – which will be set in a sports-themed environment and a highly interactive one at that. We’ve also contemplated staff requirements.”

Governor Gina Raimondo planned for $23.5 million in annual sports betting revenue in the state’s budget. Doing the math, that works out to about $900 million in handle.

By comparison, Nevada sports betting took in $5 billion in handle last year as the only state offering single-game wagering. That makes $900 million sound like a heavy lift for a state as small as Rhode Island.

Adam Candee

Adam Candee is the managing editor of Legal Sports Report. He covers sports business and news from Las Vegas, where he works as a sports radio host for ESPN and VSiN. Adam is a former editor and reporter at the Las Vegas Sun, Arizona Daily Sun, and KLAS-TV. He can be reached at [email protected]